Effect of peripartum nutritional management on plasma profile of steroid hormones, metabolites, and postpartum fertility in buffaloes

Abstract

Aim:The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of peripartum protein and minerals supplementation on plasma profile of steroid hormones, metabolites, and fertility in rural buffaloes.Material and Methods:A total of 85 advanced pregnant (~8 months) pluriparous buffaloes selected at farmers’ doorstep in three tribal villages of Middle Gujarat were randomly divided into two groups, viz., control (n=45) and nutrients treatment (40). The buffaloes of treatment group (n=40), in addition to farmers feeding schedule/control, received daily 1.5 kg compound concentrate mixture (22% CP) and 50 g of chelated ASMM for 2 months each pre- and post-partum. Further, 15 buffaloes, each of control and treatment group, were injected parentrally (deep i/m) with 5 ml of micro-minerals (each ml containing Se, Zn, Cu and Mn at 5, 40, 15 and 10 mg, respectively), twice 2 months before and on the day of calving, keeping rest of the animals (control, n=30 and treatment, n=25) as controls. Blood sampling was done on days −60, −30, −15, 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 peripartum for estimation of plasma progesterone and estradiol by standard RIA techniques and other metabolites using assay kits on biochemistry analyzer. The puerperal events and postpartum fertility were monitored through history and by fortnightly palpation per rectum till day 45 and then again at 120 days postpartum for both the groups and subgroups.Results:The mean plasma progesterone concentrations in all groups declined significantly (p<0.05) from day 60 to day 15 prepartum, reached to the basal levels (<0.5 ng/ml) on the day of parturition, and subsequently, reduced nonsignificantly till day 15 postpartum and then showed a rising trend from day 30 to 60 postpartum with significantly higher values at day 45 and/or 60. The mean plasma estradiol values increased with approaching parturition and were at its peak on the day of calving (p<0.01). Thereafter, there was a rapid fall in the levels by day 15 and it remained low till day 45-60 postpartum. The blood glucose values showed an increasing trend with advancing gestation, reaching the highest on the day of calving, dropped significantly (p<0.01) within 15 days postpartum, and thereafter showed consistent values. The buffaloes supplemented with peripartum nutrients maintained significantly (p<0.05) higher blood glucose concentrations than the control during the peak lactation. The plasma protein levels varied significantly (p<0.05) between days within the group with the lowest values on the day of calving, as well as between groups with higher (p<0.05) values on day 30 and 60 postpartum in treated group. Micro-minerals injected did not reveal significant influence on steroid hormones, blood glucose, or plasma protein. The mean plasma total cholesterol was significantly lower (p<0.05) in treatment than the control group. The mean values in micro-minerals injected subgroup were higher than the non-injected control subgroup during postpartum phase. The mean plasma triglyceride values in the pregnant buffaloes under both the gr...

Impact of bypass fat and mineral supplementation peripartum on plasma profile of steroid hormones PGFM and postpartum fertility in Jaffarabadi buffaloes

“…Dietary supplementation of fat increases the circulating concentrations of cholesterol, which serves as a precursor for the synthesis of progesterone by ovarian luteal cells and also increases the lifespan of induced CL (Rahbar et al, 2014). The gradual rise in mean plasma progesterone level on day 45 and 60 postpartum in the present study is supported by the findings of previous workers (Dhami et al, 2017;Kalasariya et al, 2017), who also observed gradual rise in progesterone prior to first postpartum estrus in cattle and buffalo.…”

“…The present significant decreasing trend prepartum and increasing trend postpartum of plasma progesterone concentrations observed in buffaloes during transitional period corroborated with the earlier findings of Ullah et al (2010), Ashmawy (2015) and Kalasariya et al (2017) in buffaloes and Gowda et al (2015) and Dhami et al (2017) in cattle. In the present study, the basal value of progesterone found on the day of calving was suggestive of complete luteolysis at parturition and corroborated with the findings of Momongan et al (1990) and Kalasariya et al (2017).…”

“…The present significant decreasing trend prepartum and increasing trend postpartum of plasma progesterone concentrations observed in buffaloes during transitional period corroborated with the earlier findings of Ullah et al (2010), Ashmawy (2015) and Kalasariya et al (2017) in buffaloes and Gowda et al (2015) and Dhami et al (2017) in cattle. In the present study, the basal value of progesterone found on the day of calving was suggestive of complete luteolysis at parturition and corroborated with the findings of Momongan et al (1990) and Kalasariya et al (2017). These findings are also in agreement with the Pahwa and Pandey (1983) and El-Belely et al (1988), who reported that the concentration of progesterone tended to decline from the day of parturition and then decreased linearly until complete regression of the residual corpus luteum of pregnancy by day 15 postpartum in non-suckled Murrah and Egyptian buffaloes, respectively.…”

“…However in the present study, no significant effect of oral nutrient supplementation was noted on these hormones profiles as compared to control group. In addition to this, plasma estradiol concentrations were variable but minimal during the early postpartum period similar to those during the luteal phase of the estrous cycle and concurred with the reports of Dugwekar et al (2008), Dhami et al (2017) and Kalasariya et al (2017) in bovines.…”

“…Almost similar trends / patterns of plasma estradiol were noted with these treatments under major control and oral nutrients supplemented/treatment groups. The overall trend of prepartum and postpartum estradiol-17β profile found in animals under study coincided well with that reported by many of the earlier researchers in buffaloes (Arya and Madan, 2001;Dugwekar et al, 2008;Ashmawy, 2015 andKalasariya et al, 2017) and in cattle (Dhami et al, 2017).…”